Back splash molding



Aug. 12, 1958 R. OSBORNE BACK SPLASH MOLDING Filed Aug. 11, 1955 OSBORNE DUB AF.

ll/Ill ATTORNEY United. Statesv Patent BACK'SPLASH MOLDING Robert Osborne, Mercer Island, Wash.

Application August 11, 1955, Serial No. 527,833

2 Claims. (Cl. 311103) The present invention relatesto improvements in back splash moldings 'for table tops and sink counters or the like.

Kitchen cabinets with built-in table tops and sink counters are now widely used in residential construction and remodeling. A large proportion of the table tops used in such construction are covered with a suitable flexible, tough and waterproof sheet material that is adhesively. secured to the upper surface. of the tabletop. It has been found that the covering material; andthe adhesive joint will deteriorate rapidly when moisture is allowed to penetrate between the covering material and the table top. The largest amount of moisture penetration between the sheet covering material and the table top occurs along the edges of the table top. When such table top is secured to built-in kitchen cabinet structure and placed along a house wall, the front edges of the table top may be readily sealed by a suitable molding or the like as is well known. However, it is more difficult to seal the rear edges of the table top at the junction with the house wall and it has been proposed to provide a splash molding at such junction between the table top and the rear wall in order to seal the joint and prevent the penetration of moisture into the area between the table top and covering material.

It is a principal object of the present invention to provide an improved splash molding for sealing the rear edge of a table top at a junction between the table top and house wall.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide an improved splash molding for sealing the joint between a table edge and an adjoining wall in a manner to provide a support for the table top covering material to thereby be extended in unbroken form upwards along the adjoining wall surface, thus preventing the accumu lation of moisture in the joint between the table top and wall.

According to the invention, a splash molding strip is formed of suitable material with a depending portion adapted to engage and seal the rear edge of the table top. In order to readily secure and strengthen the connection of the molding to the table top an integrally formed fastener portion extends generally perpendicular to the depending portion for penetrating the table top between the upper and lower surfaces thereof. In the preferred form of the invention, the fastener portion may be provided with serrated edge surfaces arranged to prevent withdrawal of the fastener portion after penetration of'the table top. An integrally formed splash molding portion extends from the depending sealing portion outwardly and upwardly from a continuation of the plane of the upper surface of the table top when secured thereto so that the sheet covering material for the table top may extend in an unbroken area over the splash molding to a position generally parallel with the house wall when the table top and splash molding are positioned adjacent the house wall.

Further objects, features and the attending advantages 2,847,263 Patented Aug. 12, 1958 "ice of the invention will be apparent with reference to the following specification and drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective elevation of a portion of table top and house wall with a preferred form of the splash molding of the invention in place to show its use;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. l; and

Fig. 3 is another sectional view similar to Fig. 2 but showing a slightly modified form of the splash molding of the invention.

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing for a description of a presently preferred embodiment of the invention, the table top of plywood is generally shown at 10. While the table top 18 is shown to be formed of plywood it should be understood that the splash molding of the invention may be applied to table tops formed of solid' wood or any other suitable composition or material. The splash molding is generally shown'at 11 and is preferably formed as an integrally molded or extruded form of aluminum. It should also be understood that the splash molding may be made with any suitable proccess of any other'suitable metal or material as desired; The splash molding will of course be formed or cut to a length equal to the length of the edge of the table top with which it will be used.

The splash molding of the invention may be best described by considering its form in cross-section. A sealing or depending portion 12 is arranged to abut and seal the edge 13 of the table top 10. Extending generally perpendicularly to the depending portion 12 is a fastener portion 14 which is adapted to penetrate the table top 10 between the upper and lower table surfaces 15 and 16 respectively. When desired, the edge of the table top 10 may be grooved such as shown at 17 to receive the fastener portion 14 of the splash molding. With such an arrangement the splash molding may be sealed and secured to the table top by adhesive or the like and the serrated edge surfaces such as shown at 18 will thereafter prevent the withdrawal and separation of the splash molding and table top. Obviously, the table top groove 17 may be omitted and the molding 11 attached to the table top by simply driving the fastener portion 14 into the table top. Although the fastener portion 14 may extend continuously along the length of the splash molding, it should be obvious that such fastener portion could alternatively be formed as a series of discontinuous fastener portions similar to integral nail or screw elements.

Still describing the molding of the invention according to its form in cross-section, it will be noted that a splash molding portion 20 extends in an are generally from the plane of the top surface of the table top to a plane generally parallel to the house wall 21 when such assembly of table top and splash molding is placed adjacent a house wall as shown in the drawing. Flexible top covering material 22 may be adhesively secured to the table top 10 and can extend in an unbroken surface over both the table top and the upper surface of the splash molding 20 to a generally perpendicular position in parallel with the house wall 21. Thus the entrance of moisture along the edge 13 of the table top 10 and between the flexible covering material 22 and the upper surface 15 of the table top is prevented and a nicely faired joint between the table top covering material and the house wall is obtained. It may be desirable to provide a lip as shown at 24 with a slot 25 to receive the edge of the flexible top covering material 22 in a manner to prevent tearing or fraying of the joint at that part of the splash molding.

A slightly modified form of the splash molding strip of the invention is shown by Fig. 3 of the drawing. In this form of the invention, the splash molding portion 20 is additionally provided with a feathered edge or lip portion 26 adapted to overlie the table top and provide a smooth transition from the upper surface 15 of the table top at the feathered edge 27.

Various modifications may be made within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A back splash molding for a table top in combination with a flexible table top cover, said molding comprising a molding member adapted to be secured to an edge surface of the table top, said member having a depending portion adapted to engage and extend along an edge surface of the table top, a fastener portion extending in a plane generally perpendicular from said depending portion and adapted to penetrate between the top and bottom surfaces of the table top edge for securing the molding member thereto, said fastener portion having a serrated surface to oppose withdrawal from the table top after penetration thereof, and said molding member having a splash portion adjoining said depending portion to extend in an arc upwardly from the plane of the top surface of the table top when said molding is secured thereto to provide a continuous surface from the table top to a point adjacent the top of said splash portion, the upper edge of said splash portion having an overlying lip configuration, and a sheet of table top covering material adapted to extend in an unbroken surface over both the table top surface and the arcuate splash molding portion to the upper edge thereof and adapted to be inserted in said slot.

2. A back splash molding for a table top in com'bination with a flexible table top cover, said molding comprising a molding member adapted to be secured to an edge surface of the table top, said member having a depending portion adapted to engage and extend along an edge surface of the table top, a fastener portion extending in a plane generally perpendicular from said depending portion and adapted to penetrate between the top and bottom surfaces of the table top edge for securing the molding member thereto, said fastener portion having a serrated surface to oppose withdrawal from the table top after penetration thereof, said molding member having a splash portion adjoining said depending portion to extend in an arc outwardly and upwardly from the plane of the top surface of the table top when said molding is secured thereto to provide a continuous surface from the table top to a point adjacent the top of said splash portion, and a lip portion having a feathered edge extending from the upper surface of said splash portion to overlie the table top surface.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,509,037 Flicker May 23, 1950 2,570,850 Pearson Oct. 9, 1951 2,608,777 Schu1er Sept. 2, 1952 2,665,182 Stanitz Jan. 5, 1954 2,697,019 Stefan Dec. 14, 1954 2,734,789 Wilson Feb. 14, 1956 

